The new variety of Verbena plant according to this invention originated as a mutation of Verbena hybrida ‘Sunmariba’.
The Verbena is a very popular plant and is used for flower bedding and potting in the summer season. There are only a few varieties of the Verbena plant that have abundant branching, many yellowish white flowers in a spike, and a high resistance to heat, rain, and disease. The new variety, ‘Sunmarivani’ was discovered as a mutant and has many of those features including a decumbent growth habit, much branching, many flowers in a spike, high tolerance to heat and rain, and resistance to disease and pests.
The new variety Verbena hybrida ‘Sunmarivani’ was discovered as a spontaneous branch mutation of the Verbena hybrida ‘Sunmariba’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,801) in May 1997 in a field of a nursery at Hakushu-cho, Kitakoma-gun, Yamanashi-ken, Japan.
The mutant Verbana plant was propagated by cutting and was grown in pot and bedding from May to November 1997 at Hakushu-cho, Kitakoma-gun, Yamanashi-ken, Japan.
The botanical characteristics of the plant were examined, using similar varieties ‘Sunmariba’ and ‘Sunmaririho’ (unpatented). It was concluded that this new Verbena variety is distinguishable from other varieties, whose existence is known to us, and is uniform and stable in its characteristics. The new variety of Verbena plant was named ‘Sunmarivani’.
In the following description, the color-coding is in accordance with The Horticultural Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England (R.H.S.).